grand opening

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t go to CapSquare Centre that often. I usually just park myself in Starbucks and find someplace to eat dinner before heading for a movie. I’ve got this Top Gun: Star Access card by TGV Cinemas that allows me to watch movies for free, and even though CapSquare has a relatively small number of screens, it’s a lot easier to find a parking space compared to Suria KLCC!

I’ve been there a couple of times a few years back and when I started going again this year, the mall totally changed on me.

Watch out Low Yat Plaza and Digital Mall – there’s a new player in town!

CapSquare Centre is now known officially as PIKOM ICT Mall CapSquare and I went to the media briefing a couple of days ago to check out what they have in store for the grand launch – you just can’t argue with the tag line “We’re opening with a bang!!!”.

The mall is just one part of the integrated CapSquare development by BRDB – there’s 6 CapSquare, the second residential project that’s under development, after CapSquare Residences, which is already occupied, and two completed office towers.

However, what’s really interesting about the place is that PIKOM, the National ICT Association of Malaysia, has chosen to align itself with CapSquare. I asked about their unique selling point, being so close to Low Yat as it is and John Sironic, Head of Group Retail Operations and Darrell, Senior Manager from Centre Management couldn’t have replied more succinctly.

It has 2,000 car park bays

There’s plenty of F&B outlets serving a wide array of cuisines from Western delicacies to Asian delights

They have a cinema

They will soon have a supermarket

The rent is relatively cheaper so that should translate to lower prices for customers

I usually just go straight up to the cinema so it’s like an educational trip, walking through the mall with Li-Ann, as she explains the existing layout and future plans. There are about 60 shops occupying the centre with room for 200 kiosks (not 20, I asked twice coz I was afraid I misheard) more.

PIKOM ICT Mall CapSquare is already pretty well represented in the technology arena – there are huge anchor tenants like Challenger, which is the largest IT mega store in Malaysia…

…to specialty premium shops like iStudy by Apple. Epson has a presence here (first concept store in Malaysia) and so does Canon and other competitors in the printing and imaging department.

TomTom opened up their first concept store in Asia right inside CapSquare so naturally Garmin took up the shop lot beside it. I also saw a PaPaGO! kiosk so that’s the holy trinity of GPS navigation devices right there. :)

The major telcos also have stores and kiosks inside CapSquare. It’s really a mixture of everything tech related down to the relatively niche Robotica Toys, which sells original PC games, merchandise and collectibles!

One thing that PIKOM ICT Mall CapSquare is offering is a premium IT shopping experience. There will be no dodgy shops with cigarette smoke wafting in the air while feng tao music is blasted out of speakers as the latest Hollywood movie plays on a TV overhead as a “preview” while runners get your pirated DVD/Blu-ray for you.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

PIKOM ICT Mall CapSquare is going to be a premium retail experience – a one-stop tech haven with the latest and greatest genuine IT products and electronic gadgets. Add “competitively priced” to the list and you have yourself a great tech mall in the making, with credible and reliable stores, minus the wild wild west elements.

There’s even a food court if you want to grab a quick bite without going into a full service restaurant.

Head down during 25-27 May for their grand opening! Parking will be free on the 26th and 27th and there’s performances galore, everything from ManHanD to Upin & Ipin with fun and games and prizes to be won!

The retailers have banded together and come up with incredible promotions that’s too long to list – grab the flyer above when you go in, whether it’s a broadband subscription or a printer, they’ve got it covered.

There’s also going to be an Outdoor Cinema with six sci-fi flicks being projected on the huge facade of the building right at the photo above. It’s geek heaven, back-to-back screenings of:

25th May
8 pm Star Wars Episode 1
10 pm Real Steel
12 am Transformers

26th May
8 pm Monsters Inc
10 pm Iron Man
12 am Avatar

You’ll be sitting here so bring a blanket or a sleeping bag. :D

Check out the Spend & Win contest too – spend RM 100 at any store in CapSquare (including F&B – asked about that) from 15-27 May, submit your receipt at the Information Counter and come for the grand launch on the 27th May to win prizes that includes an Alienware laptop (!!!), MacBook Air, the new iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Blackberry 9810 and vouchers!

It’s geek heaven, yo!

There’s so much going on during the launch on 25-27 May that it’s impossible to list everything down. Surf on over to the PIKOM ICT Mall CapSquare Facebook page to check out all they have in store for you this weekend!

Who doesn’t like to let their hair down during the weekends and party the stress of the work week away? I consider myself somewhat of a nightlife connoisseur. I started going to raves in 1996 when I was studying in New Zealand. I went on to be a regular at clubs and doofs (outdoor raves) when I was in university in Melbourne.

I guess you can say that I am a child of the PLUR movement. #hipster

I have clubbed in Korea, Hong Kong and even in Sri Lanka. I just came back from Lan Kwai Fong a few days ago and thought to myself, wouldn’t it be awesome to have been one of the people there when it first started?

Wouldn’t you love to be the one of the first, exclusive few to attend the pre-launch of a club?

You’ll practically have bragging rights for all eternity!

Club Neverland is going to be the biggest thing to hit the KL entertainment scene since…well, since sliced bread. Heh.

The name itself evokes good feelings. The story of Peter Pan sets the scene – he brings children to a mythical place called Neverland, where no one grows old and you can be children forever!

Well, I’m glad to report that the place isn’t mythical anymore – at least, not the club. Neverland aims to be the cornerstone of Kuala Lumpur’s nightlife scene and it’ll have interactive live performances set in a hip and stylish environment.

Club Neverland can easily fit 900 people in a sitting capacity and it has an on-site car park with bays for 500 cars. You won’t have to worry about parking in the heart of KL again!

How would you like to be the FIRST to experience this new clubbing destination? You’ll get to causally mention:

Yeah, I was at the pre-launch before Neverland even opened to the public.

Won’t you love to see your friends’ faces when Club Neverland becomes the place to be in KL?

Imagine being at this historical event before everyone else gets a chance to party at the latest club in town! I have only have 10 exclusive invites to give away and I hear there will be celebrities and personalities attending the pre-launch.

Tell me in the comments below and I’ll pick 10 lucky winners to attend the pre-launch. You’ll get to bring a friend and your friend can bring another friend so each winner will have passes for three (3) people, including themselves!

This contest ends at 8 pm on the 2nd of October. Please ensure that your email address is correct so I can get in touch with you. Nuffnang will contact you after that so you can collect your tickets – each ticket comes with a free drink!

Come and join us in this star-studded pre-launch party for Club Neverland and be forever young for a night! :)

Jaya One is synonymous for great food outlets. It’s what people do when they’re heading down – eat, drink and be merry. I’m not very familiar with the other side of Jaya One (the part where Cold Storage is) until Imm Ai brought us on a tour of the lesser known section of the place.

I went there with no expectations whatsoever but I was mighty pleased coz I managed to get a lot of stuff done!

First off, there is a money changer at the place. I grabbed the Korean Won from my old place and wanted to head to CIMB to change it to RM coz I was running short of cash. However, a massive traffic jam gave me a premonition I would probably have to do it another day (and miss cooking since my credit card is maxed out) so I just drove straight to Jaya One.

There is also a boutique called A Chic Store which kindly furnished me with a new piece of garment to wear. I have a notoriously limited wardrobe so that was nice.

=D

However, the best schwag of the day goes to Crown Furniture and Carpets.

Check out the carpet they gave us! It’s damn awesome okay. It’s as long as I am tall (which makes it around 171 cm or so) and it’s just perfect for my studio.

It’s currently nesting at the lounge of my studio apartment.

The anchor tenant is Cold Storage. As previously mentioned I wanted to go there anyway since I had to get supplies for my stew project. I like Cold Storage coz of the variety of stuff you can get there. Deli meat, fresh and frozen seafood, pasta, it’s heaven for someone who loves cooking. That’s why I prefer Cold Storage and other import specialty hypermarkets.

I am not ashamed to admit that I’m one of the people who DON’T buy Malaysia. I’ll buy Malaysian goods when it’s up to international standards coz once you’ve seen the best, you won’t go back. :)

Oh, and they have this Christmas contest until 13th December where you can stand a chance to win a RM 1,000 gift voucher if you spend RM 50 and above on a single receipt. I can only do two submissions though coz I ran up a RM 156.20 bill on food and a RM 135.00 slip for non-halal food and alcohol. I should have separated it. T_T

Nevertheless, it was a good outing. I got my foreign currency changed, visited a lot of specialty stores and managed to get my grocery shopping done.

Jaya One – it’s not just for food. You’ll be surprised at the variety of enterprises operating there. You get free parking too if you go to Cold Storage to get your weekly stipend of groceries.

I <3 coz it’s convenient and I managed to get all my stuff done in a single day at a single place.